President Trump Weakens Western Alliance and Starts Global Trade War
Recent events remind us of a saying attributed to Lenin that there are decades where nothing happens, and there are weeks where decades happen. Much has happened in the last few days.
According to one comment, President Trump has turned the world order on its head, leaving Europe reeling. About ending the Ukraine war, he has preferred to deal directly with Russia without consulting Ukraine or Europe. Despite his clever plan to have US share in Ukrainian minerals, he seems to be pushing Ukraine to surrender to Russia.
Treatment of President Zelensky at the White House has been condemned by most European leaders. There is nothing wrong with Ukraine seeking longer term security backed by Western countries including the US, as a pre-condition to any peace deal.
Paradoxically, with his transactional politics without principles or loyalties, by switching sides in the Ukraine war, President Trump may have averted World War III at least for the time being! Instead, he has started a global trade war by imposing 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico and 20% on China. Next, he has Europe and other countries in his sights for similar treatment. That will result in global inflation, slowing down of global trade and economic growth.
He has stopped military aid to Ukraine in the middle of the war and split trans-Atlantic NATO military umbrella alliance. In view of earlier aid and assurances by the US, this withdrawal of support has been condemned by most Western countries. European countries opposing Russian invasion of Ukraine were not prepared for this and feel a sense of betrayal. Rather belatedly, they have agreed to increase their defence budgets and setting up a European defence fund.
With authoritarian regimes like Russia, peace is only possible through a show of strength. US was the main supporter of the war effort as the leading country in the NATO military alliance. In fact, NATO expansion is the main reason behind Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Rater belatedly, there is a new awakening to ground realities in Europe. PM Starmer said at the London meeting of leading European countries (the Coalition of the willing),.that the security of Europe is the responsibility of Europe. Weak peace deals in the past allowed President Putin to invade again. So, President Zelensky was right in insisting on permanent security assurance from President Trump. His mistreatment at the White House by President Trump and Vice-President J D Vance for raising this issue, was a historic diplomatic blunder condemned by the free world.
As Prime Minister Starmer mentioned at the London meeting of European leaders, since 1945 the American-led, rules-based global order has provided the conditions for peace and prosperity. Multilateral institutions have, albeit imperfectly, safeguarded stability and spread shared values&hellip.For years America pushed hard for freer trade, co-founding the World Trade Organisation to promote global free-trade agreements. President Trump does not understand that free trade has benefitted the US as much as other countries.
President Trump should understand that transaction politics which looks for material gain alone, will not work in an ever shrinking world in which global issues have forced interdependence of nations. At a stroke, the US has lost its moral right to lead the free Western world. UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has secured a well-deserved lead in Europe.
President Zelensky will agree to any peace deal only if the freedom of Ukraine is secure.
Gurmukh Singh OBE
Principal Civil Servant retd (UK)
E-mail: sewauk2005@yahoo.co.uk
Sikh ideology articles: https://www.sikhmissionarysociety.org/